September 2016

To make sure our products are the best they can be, we always make sure we’re fully up-to-date with all the latest technology news and developments. One thing we’re REALLY excited about is virtual reality. The development of this over the coming years will revolutionise every aspect of our lives, and one part in particular – office life.According to an expert, virtual business meetings will replace conference calls and face-to-face meetings, as the technology has started to be tested in offices worldwide - and this could happen as soon as TWO years!Andrew Glennerster, professor of visual neuroscience at Reading University has said he is certain VR will soon replace conference calls in offices across the world.In a recent interview with the Mail Online, he said: “With Facebook investing $2 billion in VR and several new headsets coming out this year, it could be very soon, for example in the next two years. I think they may soon be extremely realistic and convincing. You will all feel that you are in the same room as other people.”

Replacing face-to-face meetings with virtual reality might seem like certain aspects involving human contact, such as handshakes and eye contact, might be missing, but Professor Glennerster goes on to say that technology will advance enough for these to also seem real. He said: “I have tried robot hands, they give a convincing handshake. Eye tracking can, in theory, mean that avatars will have the correct eye movements so eye contact and similar cues will be available.”

He added: “I think the financial drive to make this happen and to work well is huge. It is quite hard to think of an aspect of meeting in real life that will not be transferred to virtual reality.”

It’s quite an exciting thought about what the future holds for the world of virtual reality! What do you think? Would you welcome VR in your office? Or do you prefer face-to-face meetings? Comment below and let us know your thoughts!